7
Ukholo Lwenduna Yekhulu
1 Kwathi uJesu eseqedile ukukhuluma konke lokhu abantu labo besizwa wayangena eKhaphenawume. 2 Khonapho inceku yenduna yekhulu eyayiligugu kakhulu enkosini yayo, yayigula isibangwa lezibi. 3 Induna yekhulu yezwa ngoJesu yathuma kuye abanye abadala bamaJuda icela ukuba eze azosilisa inceku yayo. 4 Bafika kuJesu bamncenga kakhulu bathi, “Indoda le ifanele ukuthi uyenzele lokhu, 5 ngoba iyasithanda isizwe sakithi njalo yiyo eyakha isinagogu yethu.” 6 Ngakho uJesu wahamba labo.
Wayengasekhatshana lendlu lapho induna yekhulu yathuma abangane bayo ukuyakuthi kuye, “Nkosi, ungazihluphi, akungifanelanga mina ukuthi ungene ngaphansi kophahla lwami. 7 Yikho okwenze ngazibona ngingafanele ukuthi ngize kuwe. Kodwa tshono ilizwi nje inceku yami izasila. 8 Ngoba mina ngokwami ngingumuntu ongaphansi komthetho, ngilamabutho angaphansi kwami. Lo ngimtshela ngithi, ‘Hamba,’ ahambe; ngithi kuloyana, ‘Buya,’ lakanye abuye. Ngithi encekwini yami, ‘Yenza lokhu,’ ikwenze.”
9 UJesu wathi ekuzwa lokhu wamangala ngaye, wasephendukela exukwini labantu ababemlandela wathi, “Ngiyalitshela, kangikaluboni ukholo olukhulu kangaka kanye lako-Israyeli.” 10 Abantu ababethunyiwe babuyela endlini bafica inceku isiziphilela.
UJesu Uvusa Indodana Yomfelokazi
11 Kungakabi yisikhathi eside ngemva kwalokhu, uJesu waya edolobheni okwakuthiwa yiNayini, abafundi bakhe kanye lexuku labantu elikhulu babehamba laye. 12 Wathi esebanga entubeni yedolobho, khonapho umuntu ofileyo wayethwelwe ekhutshelwa ngaphandle. Indodana eyiyo yodwa kunina njalo unina engumfelokazi. Ixuku elikhulu labantu bedolobheni lalilaye. 13 Kwathi uJesu embona umfelokazi, wamhawukela wathi kuye, “Ungakhali.”
14 Wasesondela wathinta ithala elalilesidumbu, kwathi labo ababelithwele bema mpo. Wathi, “Jaha, ngithi kuwe, vuka!” 15 Indoda efileyo yavuka yahlala, yasikhuluma, uJesu wayinika unina.
16 Bonke bamangala kakhulu badumisa uNkulunkulu. Bathi, “Umphrofethi omkhulu usevelile phakathi kwethu. UNkulunkulu usefikile ukuzasiza abantu bakhe.” 17 Udumo lukaJesu lwamemetheka kulolonke elaseJudiya lemangweni wakhona.
UJesu LoJohane UMbhaphathizi
18 Abafundi bakaJohane bamtshela ngazozonke lezizinto. Wabiza ababili babo 19 wabathuma eNkosini ukuyabuza ukuthi, “Unguye yini ozayo, kumbe silindele omunye?”
20 Amadoda lawo athi efika kuJesu athi, “UJohane uMbhaphathizi usithumile kuwe ukuthi sizobuza sithi, ‘Unguye yini ozayo kumbe silindele omunye’?”
21 Ngalesosikhathi uJesu wasilisa abanengi ababelezifo, lemikhuhlane lemimoya emibi, wazivula amehlo iziphofu ezinengi. 22 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Buyelani liyebikela uJohane lokhu elikubonayo lelikuzwayo ukuthi iziphofu zenziwa zibone, abaqhugezelayo bayahamba, abalobulephero bayahlanjululwa, izacuthe ziyezwa, abafileyo bayavuswa, levangeli liyatshunyayelwa kubayanga. 23 Ubusisiwe lowomuntu ongakhubekiyo ngenxa yami.”
24 Sezihambile izithunywa zikaJohane uJesu waqala ukukhuluma labantu ngoJohane esithi: “Laphuma lisiyabonani enkangala na? Umhlanga owazunguzwa ngumoya na? 25 Nxa kwakungenjalo, pho lalisiyabonani? Indoda eyayicecile na? Hatshi, labo abagqoka izigqoko ezidulayo bazitike ngezinto ezinhle basezigodlweni. 26 Kodwa kanti kuyini elaphuma lisiyakubona? Umphrofethi yini? Yebo, ngiyalitshela, omkhulu kulomphrofethi. 27 Lo nguye okulotshwe ngaye ukuthi:
‘Ngizathuma isithunywa sami phambi kwakho,
esizalungisa indlela yakho phambi kwakho.’*
28 Ngiyalitshela ukuthi kubo abazalwa ngabesifazane kakho omkhulu kuloJohane; ikanti lowo omncinyane kakhulu embusweni kaNkulunkulu mkhulu kulaye.”
29 (Bonke abantu, kanye labathelisi, bathi sebewazwile amazwi kaJesu bavuma ukuthi indlela kaNkulunkulu yayilungile, ngoba babebhaphathizwe nguJohane. 30 Kodwa abaFarisi lezazi zomthetho bayala injongo kaNkulunkulu ngabo, ngoba babengabhaphathizwanga nguJohane.)
31 UJesu waqhubeka wathi, “Pho ngingabafanisa lani abantu besizukulwane lesi? Bafanana lani? 32 Banjengabantwana behlezi emkambo bememeza abanye besithi:
‘Salitshayela umhubhe,
kodwa kaligidanga,
salihlabelela ingoma yesililo,
kodwa kalililanga.’
33 Ngoba uJohane uMbhaphathizi weza engadli isinkwa njalo enganathi iwayini, lina lithi, ‘Uledimoni.’ 34 INdodana yoMuntu yafika yadla, yanatha, laselisithi, ‘Nansi isidli lesidakwa, umngane wabathelisi lezoni.’ 35 Kodwa ukuhlakanipha kuziveza ukuthi kuqondile ebantwaneni bakho bonke.”
UJesu Ugcotshwa Ngumfazi Oyisoni
36 Omunye wabaFarisi wanxusa uJesu ukuzakudla laye isidlo sakusihlwa, ngakho waya endlini yalowo mFarisi wahlala etafuleni. 37 Kwathi owesifazane othile owayephila impilo yesono kulelodolobho esezwile ukuthi uJesu wayesidla endlini yomFarisi weza ephethe imbodlela yamakha, 38 kwathi esemi ngemva kukaJesu ngasezinyaweni ekhala, wamanzisa inyawo zakhe ngezinyembezi. Wasezesula inyawo zikaJesu ngenwele zakhe, wazanga wasethela amakha kuzo.
39 Kwathi lowomFarisi owayemnxusile ekubona lokho wazitshela wathi, “Aluba indoda le ibingumphrofethi, ibizakwazi ukuthi ngubani oyibambabambayo lokuthi umfazi lo uyisoni.”
40 UJesu wamphendula wathi, “Simoni, kukhona engifuna ukukutshela khona.”
Wathi, “Ngitshela, mfundisi.”
41 “Amadoda amabili ayelesikwelede semali kumeboleki wemali. Oyedwa wayelesikwelede samadenari angamakhulu amahlanu, omunye esamatshumi amahlanu. 42 Bobabili babengelayo imali yokumbhadala, ngakho wasewesula umlandu wabo bobabili. Manje nguphi wabo ozamthanda okudlula omunye na?”
43 USimoni waphendula wathi, “Ngibona kungathi ngulowo owesulelwa isikwelede esikhulu.”
UJesu wathi, “Wahlulele kuhle.”
44 Wasephendukela kowesifazane wathi kuSimoni, “Uyambona na owesifazane lo? Ngifikile endlini yakho, kawungiphanga amanzi okugeza inyawo zami, kodwa yena uthambise inyawo zami ngezinyembezi zakhe, wazesula ngenwele zakhe. 45 Kawunganganga, kodwa owesifazane lo selokhu ngingenileyo lapha akemanga ukwanga inyawo zami. 46 Kawuthelanga amafutha ekhanda lami, kodwa yena uthele amakha ezinyaweni zami. 47 Yikho-ke ngiyakutshela ukuthi izono zakhe ezinengi sezithethelelwe, ngoba utshengise uthando olukhulu. Kodwa lowo othethelelwe okuncinyane uthanda kancinyane.”
48 UJesu wasesithi kowesifazane, “Izono zakho sezithethelelwe.”
49 Ezinye izethekeli zasezibuzana zisithi, “Ungubani kanti yena lo oze athethelele izono na?”
50 UJesu wasesithi kowesifazane, “Ukukholwa kwakho kukusindisile; hamba ngokuthula.”
* 7:27 UMalaki 3.1